Without this portable antediluvian, it would be impossible to keep on the road McLaren F1

Without this portable antediluvian, it would be impossible to keep on the road McLaren F1

McLaren F1 is one of the supercars most iconic of the past Century XX. Considered the pinnacle of technology in the 90’s, today every one of the 106 F1 manufactured is a machine extremely valuable. Your V12 6.1-liter 621 BHP still amazes with its performance in track-days exclusive and its design amazes in contests of elegance and events of classic. Are cars whose thorough maintenance is necessary and vital to their well-being mechanical, and it would be impossible to keep them rolling without this portable antediluvian.

A problem whose dimension we are beginning to understand is the aging of the electronics in cars of a certain age group.

The portable ones that you see on the screen is a Compaq LTE 5280. In the mid-90s, it was pump: I had an Intel Pentium processor of 120 Mhz and 32 MB of RAM memory. On your hard drive might be 1 GB of data and was compatible with Windows 95. Was the laptop chosen by McLaren for the installation in the base plate of a communication card with dedicated electronics of the F1. The communication protocol and settings in the primitive – but really complex in – car electronics is carried out using a system based on MS-DOS.

For the moment, there is no replacement possible. These microchips are a amalgam of electronic parts source Bosch, TAG and Lucas Electrics. The guys at Jalopnik have visited McLaren Special Operations and one of the most curious that have been taken out of the experience has been the history of this laptop Compaq. Currently, McLaren is developing a new system of communication between the car and computer modern. Your Compaq LTE 5280 are becoming less reliable, accusing its components, its 20 years old.

it Is possible to purchase one of these laptops for just a few euros on eBay, but McLaren found it difficult to replacement of parts, to the use cards CA are specific for the communication with the F1.